The Tower Keeper
by funkypudding
Summary: Jaxon isn't your normal Prince Charming and Luciana isn't your Rapunzel, who was locked away in a tower. Jaxon's mission is to kill the mysterious Luciana so he can become the true king, but a storm drives him to find refuge in a tower. The tower keeper must hide who she truly is to stay alive, even when she finds herself falling in love with her killer.
1. Chapter 1

**So, there is this literary magazine at my school and I'm hoping for them to chose this excerpt of my new story in the first edition of it. Tell me what you think! It's based off of Rapunzel, you will find out why later on in the story(:**

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Prologue

"Take it. This will be enough to kill her." The man in the shadows crooned. His dark eyes gleamed as his customer, a boy wearing a black cloak, gingerly took the flask. Inside, the violet liquid sloshed around, glowing. Danger and death reeked of the man, making the boy back away slightly.

"All she needs to do is drink it?" The man's chapped lips twirled upward, yellow teeth shining through.

"Of course, your Majesty. Only need one drop. Could rid those parents of yours, I reckon." He croaked, only to find the boy pushing him against the wall, his hands at his throat. The hood of his cloak flew back, revealing his perfectly smooth, tan face and his glistening blond hair. His features were twisted up in anger, his lips grimacing and his eyes red as he stared down at the man.

"Leave my parents out of this." The boy hissed through his teeth. "They won't be a problem so you should back off, Roscoe." A deep rumble arose from the older man's throat.

"Don't threaten me, Hemlock. I know ways to make sure you go as well as the princess." Roscoe growled and scowled at the young prince. "I thought you would be smarter than that."

"Whatever, Roscoe. Get out of here and don't tell anyone of our little dealing." The boy let up on the man, handing him a small sack, probably the size of his palm and made of rich golden brown leather. Only someone who was nearly as well off as royalty could buy such material. Roscoe smirked, showing off his decaying tooth before disappearing in the shadows of the alley, leaving the boy alone with the glowing flask. He waited a moment before leaving the alley and merging with the street traffic, pulling up his hood again. He followed the flow until it passed the palace. The place he lived.

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**Review what you think and I hope to continue it soon(: **


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I haven't found out if this is going in the magazine yet, but I like it so far. I thought, why not give you another chapter, seeing as I had this typed up for a while now. Here ya go! **

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Candles were lit and fires bloomed as the kingdom discovered the horror. The soon-to-be king, Prince Jaxon Hemlock, was lying on his bed, awaiting the maid who would soon come. He had already known what had happened. After several moments, a rapid knock came from the door. He uttered a reply as a young maid, who had bedhead and look of terror on her face, rushed inside. She curtseyed before taking a deep rattling breath.

"Your Majesty. The king and queen are dead." The prince froze, his face unreadable.

"Impossible. I just saw them last night. Are you positive?" He asked in a trembling voice. The maid hesitated before nodding slowly, afraid of what Jaxon would do. The boy just made a small gasping sound before rising from his bed, rubbing his eyes as if he were ridding himself of the nightmare. He commanded the maid to bring him to his parents. As she exited his room, the boy smirked at his acting skills. Nobody would suspect him the way things were rolling out. The frazzled maid led him to their room, the royal chambers. Jaxon's mother, Queen Gloriana, was lying across the large canopy bed. The deep red sheets were drawn just above her waist, her arms crossed against her chest. Her eyes were closed softly and her face slack, no worry or pain in her expression. She would have looked peaceful, like she were sleeping, if not for the sickly yellow shade of her skin. Two men from the staff were lifting the king to the bed to lay next to his wife. As they struggled, Jaxon couldn't help but notice how limp his body was. How it dragged against the plush carpet and how it almost matched the queens pale skin. Once they laid him out across the bed, all these staff members turned to the prince. More watched through the door in the hallway.

"Leave." He said softly. The quiet command made all of the staff members move instantly from the room, closing the door behind them. Jaxon slowly made his way to the side if the bed where the queen was. He leaned over her, brushing his lips on her cheek.

"Rest peacefully, mother." He murmered. Then he walked around the bed to where his father lay. His once strong features softened in death. He almost looked nothing like the king Jaxon had known, his face lacking the look of determination.

"You knew this would happen, father. You knew I wanted the throne and would do anything to get it. Remember that I respected you as a father. Not the king that ruled this land for two years, not the man who took over the kingdom from the Fremonte dynasty." The young prince whispered harshly.

"Prince Jaxon?" A question came from the door. "Do you wish to help with preparations?" He already killed them, why bother with funerals? He sighed deeply, knowing what he had to do.

"I will be right out to help with that." He huffed. He had to become king, soon. Of course, his parents weren't really king and queen though. They didn't realize till recently that the princess of the last dynasty, the rightfully ruler or the land, was still alive.

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"I will be back by the winter solstice. I expect you to prepare my coronation for then." Prince Jaxon announced to his advisor, William. The old man nodded, his greying hair flopping up and down.

"If I may ask, sir, where are you going?" William croaked.

"Kingly business and trade in far lands." The advisor nodded as if that cleared up everything. A staff man loaded the last bag on the horses saddle. Once he checked to make sure the bags were tightly tied to the saddle, he turned to the royal traveler.

"Your horse is ready, sir." The princes nodded to the advisor before he swung up on top of the horse.

"Remember, have my coronation ready on the winter solstice." He calls out to man as he rode west, to the prison the princess was supposed to be at. His parents preceded a couple, they were young and vibrant. They had run their country with care and dedication. Then, their daughter came along and the whole country rejoiced. Rumor around the palace was that the king and queen discovered somehing unusual about their daughter. Sorcery. Their daughter had unimaginable powers that could have threatened the lives of everyone in the kingdom. The young princess had disappeared at the age of three, after a fire that burned down the stables she was playing in. Many commoners believed that Princess Luciana died in that terrible fire but the prison records said otherwise. A Luciana Fremonte was moved there at the young age of three eighteen years before. It was Jaxon's chance to rid the world of the Fremontes and take over as the true ruler of the kingdom.

He passed through the grounds outside the palace, the street full of commoners in black who walked solemnly and parted for him. None of them realized that the figure in the black cloak was their soon to be king. Except for a man who watched Jaxon pass him. He grinned and revealed his yellow teeth in the darkness that surrounded him. Roscoe knew that the prince would find more than he expected out of his little journey.

Jaxon finally reached the outskirts of the royal city that surround the palace. He urged the horse to ride faster through the open countryside, eager to reach his destination before the angry storm clouds above him released their fury. He did not get his wish. He wasn't even halfway when big fat rain drops started falling on his head. It wasn't long before they became a problem. The dirt road became mud, causing his horse to slip and slide, nearly throwing him. He steered him clear of the road and towards a tower that sat in the distance. It was a little less than a mile off the the road. The horse continued to slide around in the muddy grass and panic as lightning started to flash above their heads. Finally they reached the tower. It was taller than Jaxon originally thought. Ivy crept up the crumbling walls. The once colorful brick was brown and grey from age.

The prince would have thought it to be inhabited if not for the lit window, the only window on the entire tower. One door, one window. Bars crossed over the window, making it impossible for anyone to climb through. The door looked to have been locked at one point but was was rusted so much that someone easily busted it. Jaxon dragged the horse over to the window, so that he could see inside. Firelight flickered on the painted walls from the fireplace directly across from him. A stairwell wound around the entire tower, ending at the high ceiling and starting to his right. Two plush chairs that were similar to the ones in the palace were placed angled to each other in the middle of the room. A table sat between them. Four thick books were lying on the table.

That's when Jaxon realized there was someone sitting in the chair to his left. The tower keeper had laid another book on top on the stack, letting lose a deep sigh. Then she stood up, completely unaware of her visitor in the window. Jaxon could not believe his eyes. A young woman, in clothes rich enough to be from the palace itself, was striding across the room. Her dress was a yellow that seemed to shimmer in the orange light from the fire. Her skin was flawless, glowing gold in the light. Her hair was long and dark. It reached below her waist. What really caught his eye was the lonely look in her dark eyes. The prince jerked out of her view. He hadn't realized that he had been staring for so long, letting the rain drench him even more so. He trudged through the mud to the door and knocked. It was at least a minute before the door creaked open slightly. Jaxon could see a sliver of her eye through the crack.

"Madam, would you mind allowing me shelter from the storm?" He tried to retain his polite manners but his words sounded clipped and even trembled a little bit. He was freezing out in the cold water. The woman's mouth gaped open like a fish's.

"Uh- sure, come on in." She says after a few seconds. "Sorry, its been awhile since I've had actual visitors." She opened the door all the way, allowing him to come in after tying his horse to the post outside her house and dragging his bag inside.

"Thank you so much. I hadn't realized that it was going to storm so soon." Jaxon said sheepishly.

"Its fine. You just need to be more careful next time." She rattled off, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I am Prince Jaxon Hemlock." The boy said, bowing his head. "May I ask your name?" He could almost swear that he sees a flash of fear in her eyes before she responded.

"Um, Rapunzel." She curtseys. Jaxon chuckles.

"Like the story? Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down you hair!" He joked. The girl's face reddened slightly.

"Yep. Uh, lets just say my parents liked that story a lot." Her face seemed to fall, her eyes wandering off to deeper memories. "Do you have any dry clothes in that bag? You surely cant stay in those you have on. You'd get sick."

"I think I do, this leather may be ruined but it can keep out the water." He smiled and opened the bag. Sure enough, all his clothes were dry and folded perfectly inside.

"Here, you can change upstairs." Rapunzel gestured for Jaxon to follow her. She went up the stairs, Jaxon right behind her. They finally made it to the next floor but the stairs kept going upward into another high ceiling. This room was different from the one downstairs. Instead of paint, bookshelves covered the walls. The only wall not bare was the one the large canopy bed was leaning against. The only light source in the room was a candle sitting on the chest besides the bed.

"What's up there?" Jaxon pointed upward. Rapunzel just smiled.

"You can change here. When you're done, leave the clothes by the stairs and come on up." She climbed the stairs to the next floor, leaving him alone to change. Once he was in warmer, drier clothes, Jaxon followed suit and went up the stairs. Yet again, more winding stairs went up to another floor. This one had three long cots lying on the floor, swathed in blankets. Three separate tables and three separate candles were on each one. Only one was lit.

"Woah." Is all he could say. Was this some type of post that he had never heard of? A tower keeper who gave a warm bed and clothes to lone travelers on this road? Or were there other people here with her?

"I had to get this all ready. Its been awhile since I've had a visitor." She repeated. "I hope this is good until the storm ends. I know you're a prince but this is the best I've got unless you want my room-"

"That wont be necessary. I'll be fine with this." Jaxon interrupted. He didn't want to be any trouble for her. She smiled gratefully.

"Okay, I will leave you be. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs." She lifted her skirt slightly to walk back down the stairs. He sat on the cot, opening his ruined bag. The only things inside were his clothes and his dagger. And of course, the flask. He had almost forgotten his journey to the prison with this strange detour. A tower keeper had distracted him. That couldn't do. He would have to leave as soon as the storm cleared up. The prince threw his bag on the cot and went downstairs. He found the girl sitting in her chair, staring into the fire. He cleared his throat. "

Why don't you have any visitors?" He blurted. He hadn't meant to outright say that. He had been trying to announce that he was leaving as soon as the storm ended but nope. His tongue had decided to rebel against him. Rapunzel frowned. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He corrected quickly.

"No, it's fine, I'll tell you." She gestured to the other chair. He sat in it, looking to her idly. "About a year ago, I used to have visitors regularly. Guards, foreigners, and travelers alike. My parents used to send them so I wouldn't be alone but I hated it. Why couldn't they come themselves if they were so worried that I was lonely? Then the last real visitor I had was a messenger, reporting their death." She barely choked out the last part. Jaxon opened his mouth to tell her that she dowsnt need to continue but she kept going. "Since, all I've gotten was some delivery men with my basic necessary needs. Their last wish to make sure I was okay. I hadn't seen them in over ten years because they hated me and loved me at the same time. Loved me enough to keep me alive, but hated me enough to make my life torture." Rapunzel sniffed, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

"My parents are dead too." Her eyes looked up into his, shocked. The prince thought he saw a flicker of hope in them for a moment before it flew away.

"I'm sorry." She whispered tightly.

"But I cant be king. Not until I make sure some loose ends are taken care of." Rapunzels face was consumed in curiosity and confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

"The princess of the Fremonte dynasty. I think shes still alive. I'm was on my way to the prison where she is supposedly being held." Jaxon explained but she still looked confused.

"Why are you going there? What are you going to do to her?" Rapunzel questions.

"I have to kill her of course, if I really want to be king." The tower keeper froze, gripping the arms of her chair, staring at the young prince.

"Oh. That seems a bit harsh." She said curtly.

"There's nothing else I can do." Jaxon shrugged.

"You could leave her alone." She shrugged back. Jaxon leveled his eyes at her. He had never met a woman so outspoken as Rapunzel. It was strange to talk to her like he might have talked to his father.

"I still have to do it. Don't worry, it's not like you'll be there when it happens." He reassured her but she didn't seem so happy. They were silent for a while after that, switching between staring at the fire and at each other. The storm continued outside, the rain falling down faster than ever.

"It's nice to have real company after so long." Rapunzel broke the silence. Jaxon nodded with her. He had always been surrounded by people but he had always felt alone. Nobody really talked to him, not deeply talking. Just second thought comments.

"Tell me about yourself, Rapunzel." He smiled at her but her face seemed to fall.

"Um, well my parents hate me-"

"No, I was asking about you, not your history." The prince cut her off. That seemed to make her more at ease.

"Books, that describes my life here. It's all I can do to fill up my time sometimes. I've already painted the walls on over and over. I've probably read all my books three times over and counting."

"Then you must be really smart." He stated, seeing the smile in her eyes.

"Well, when you have years to yourself, you have a lot of downtime to do that sort of thing." Rapunzel shrugged.

"And you painted all this?" Jaxon pointed to the walls and she nodded. The prince couldn't help but be impressed when we really looked upon the walls. Flowers, scenery, people, and even the palace was painted all across them.

"Yes. Painting is great, but I ran out of space." Jaxon nodded as he glanced at the walls again. It looked as if everything was crowded together to make room for new things.

"Have a favorite book?" He asked.

"Rapunzel's story is, of course, my favorite." She said sincerely, causing the prince to laugh.

"I should have known that. I'm fond of that book as well. I've always expected that someday, I would find my princess and beg her to be my queen because of how great she is." Jaxon commented.

"Are you saying that you're about to become king and you don't have a queen?" Rapunzel asked incredulity written across her face.

"I just haven't had time." He shrugged, earning a laugh from the tower keeper.

"Of course, a prince like you must be very busy." She accentuated the word very. Her eyes sparkled as the prince laughed yet again.

"It would be nicer if it weren't true." He finally exclaimed. Their laughter died down and both took to staring at the fire, glancing at each other every now and then and accidentally catching the others eye.

"I'm going to sleep now." The prince announced after a while. The tower keeper started as the boy got up from his seat.

"You haven't even eaten yet." She said, almost like she wanted him to stay with her and just be there. Jaxon had to remind himself that she hadn't had visitors in a while.

"Sorry, but if I'm going to leave as soon as the storm finishes, I need to rest." He stated, climbing the steps to the third floor. Once he reached it, he looked to where the next floor would be. Rapunzel hadn't said he couldn't go up there. He glanced down the stairs, noticing that the flickering light of the fire held no shadows moving up the stairs. Jaxon lightly scrambled up the steps. He came upon a door in the darkness. He jiggled the handle and found that it was locked. He huffed a sigh and went back down and collapsed on the cot, waiting for sleep to arrive.

Rapunzel sat at the fire, staring at it long after Jaxon went upstairs. She breathed heavily and her heart was beating a million times a minute. He was after the Fremonte princess. He was looking to kill her. Rapunzel not only knew where the princess was, she also knew that he could easily get to her. After what seemed to be forever, the tower keeper stood, every muscle in her body clenched. The room was heating up, the fire blazing brighter in the fireplace. Sweat dripped off her brow and into her eyes. She wiped it off as the temperature continued to rise. Rapunzel squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't be doing this now. Not when a killer slept upstairs. She couldn't do it again. No more, she tried to tell herself but in her heart, she knew that she couldn't control it. She couldn't control anything if the prince found out. If he found out, it would be the death of Luciana Fremonte, the true princess.

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**Woah, that was way longer than I thought it would be. Over three thousand words! Why can't I do this sort of thing when I write my other stories!?(:**


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